Owlswicks Halfpenny

The halfpenny stamps produced by Owlswick are very good forgeries, but they do have one noticeable characteristic which helps collectors to identify them from the regular Wincanton perforated stamps. He reproduced the motto across the top of the AMPO building slightly wider, so that the pale space either side is smaller.

          
Wincanton                                                    Owlswick

As a result of the Watch’s arrest collectors were able to obtain forgeries in various states of completion in their LBEs. Usually they were single stamps, but I have heard of a lucky few receiving a block of four as illustrated. Starting at a basic layout Owlswick worked inward colouring the fine detail.
 

 

 

The actual stamps distributed were printed in sheets of 72, in blocks of four as shown providing just 18 sets per sheet.

Other materials found in Owlswick’s room were used as evidence against him and again, collectors have copies of these. The evidence sheet has a partially perforated set of stamps, but a very few imperforate examples exist. An evidence label was pinned to the sheet.